Wire tying device



Nov. 17,1959

. Original Fil ed Jan. 4, 1950 G. W. CAFFERATA WIRE TYING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

Arr vi NOW 9 e. w. CAFFERATA 2,9 5- WIRE TYINGV DEVICE Original Filed Jan. 4. 1950 j 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Arr 3 United States Patent WIRE TYING DEVICE 4, 1950. This application July 30, 1956, Serial No. 600,809

Claims priority, application Great Britain January 12, 1949 7 Claims. (Cl. 140-118) This invention relates to a hand tool for tying wire ties of the kind consisting of a length of wire bent around the article or articles which it ties to form a closed loop, the end portions of the wire being twisted together to form a two-start helix branching from the loop portion of the tie. Such ties are commonly used, for example, to close the mouths of cement bags and to tie together rods constituting reinforcement for a concrete structure.

A well-known form of wire tie of this kind has its end portions bent into the form of eyes, and the tie is applied by means of a hand tool consisting of a crank rotatable about the longitudinal axis of a handle and having a hook on its free end adapted to be engaged in the two eyes. When the hook is so engaged, the handle is moved, relatively to the article being tied, with a crank ing action so as to twist the tie ends together. Another type of hand tool uses an Archimedean screw-and-nut mechanism whereby the tie is twisted by drawing the handle backwards along the spindle. Such a tie can easily and quickly be applied, but the formation of the necessarily strong eye at each end renders it expensive.

Another form of wire tie has ends similar to pinheads, instead of eyes. The twisting tool, which can be of the simple cranking type or of the Archimedean screw type, has a holding device which grips the heads at the ends of the wire ties while the tool is being operated.

An object of this invention is to provide a hand tool enabling a wire tie having plain ends to be easily and quickly applied, by twisting the ends, by means of the hand tool.

The method of tying a wire tie having substantially straight plain ends, with the aid of a hand tool in accordance with the present invention, includes the steps of loosely inserting the ends of the tie into the holding device of the hand tool while the axis of rotation of the holding device is transverse to the ends of the tie, angularly displacing the tool about an axis transverse to the tie ends so as to cause the holding device to bend these ends, and thereafter imparting a rotation to the holding device, e.g. by manipulation of the handle of the tool, the bent ends of the tie enabling the holding device to impart the torque that twists the tie.

This application is a continuation of my prior application l36,801, filed January 4, 1950.

Embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are plan views of one form of tool in accordance with the invention, shown in diiferent stages of the operation of tying the neck of a bag, and with the wire-holding device in section.

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Figures 4, 5 and 6 are side elevations of the tied bag neck, showing finishing steps.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of yet another form of holding device, shown partly in section on the line 77 in Figure 8.

Figures 8 and 9 are respectively views in the directions of the arrows 8 and 9 in Figures 7 and 8.

Figure 10 is a side elevation of another modification of the holding device shown in Figure 1, and partly in section on the line 10-10 in Figure 11.

Figures 11 and 12 are views in the directions of the arrows 11 and 12 in Figure 10.

Figure 13 shows in elevation a part of a tool having two holding devices on a common spindle, one being of known form suitable for eye-ended ties, and the other for straight-ended ties.

Figure 14 is a view in the direction of the arrow "14 in Figure 13.

Figure 15 is a view in the direction of the arrow 15 in Figure 14.

Figure 16 is a side elevation of another form of hand tool having a holding device like that of the tool shown in Figures 1 to 3.

Figure 17 is a view in the direction of the arrow 17 in Figure 16.

Figure 18 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a part of a tool having a holding device suitable for both straight-ended ties and ties having pin-head ends, and shown in use with the latter.

Figures 19 and 20 are views in the directions of the arrows 19 and 20 in Figures 18 and 19.

The form of hand tool shown in Figures 1 to 3 has an elongated handle 30. A spindle 31 is mounted in a bushing 32 screwed coaxially in the handle; the spindle is fitted with collars 33 and 34 which locate it axially while permitting it to rotate in the handle. The spindle has an end portion projecting from the front of the handle, bent through an angle of 60 to the axis of rotation of the spindle and terminating in an elongated wireholding head or block 35 having a plane side surface 36 inclined at 60 to the said axis and facing towards the handle. As shown in the drawing, the longitudinal axis of head 35 coincides with the axis of the outer end portion of spindle 31 and is at an angle of 60 to theaxis of handle 30. A hole 37 passes through the block 35 within the area of the said inclined side surface 36 and perpendicularly to the surface 36. Hole 37 passes transversely through head 35 and its axis is in a common plane with the axes of handle 30 and head 35. The front end of the hole 37 is large enough to accommodate freely the two straight ends of the tie, and the rear part of the hole is of frusto-conical form diverging towards the surface 36. A V notch 38 extends from the diverging part of the hole 37 to the end or terminal face of the block 35 remote from the handle 30, this notch diverging towards the surface 36. This notch forms a channel for leading the wire away from the head during twisting operation, as explained below.

This tool is used as follows. A wire tie 39 is looped around an article 40 required to be tied (or around two or more articles required to be tied together) and the two substantially straight ends of the tie are placed side by side and inserted through the hole 37 from back to front, the tool being meanwhile held with its axis oblique to the ends of the tie in such a position that the diverging rear end of the hole assists the threading of the tie ends through it (Figure 1). Next, while the tie is held byone hand of the operator, his other hand angu;

J larly displaces the tool, relatively to the tie in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1, through an angle of 150 in this example, at the same time keeping the tie under tension. This bends the ends of the tie sharply so as to prevent their Withdrawal from the tool which is now in the position shown in Figure 2 such that the axis of rotation of the spindle is more or less parallel to the parts of the tie between its ends-and the curved middle part of the loop. When the tool is angularly displaced, the wire bends at the junction of the notch 58 and the hole 37 and lies along the bottom of the notch or channel 38 while it is being twisted. Without changing his grip onthe tie and the tool, the operator now imparts a continuous cranking action to the handle 31 which sets the spindle in continuous rotation and so causes the ends of the tie to be twisted together to any desired extent, as shown in Figure 3.

When the tie is tight, as shown in Figure 4, the tool is removed and the ends of the tie may be pinched close to the twisted portion by finger pressure in order to prevent fouling. The tie now appears as in Figure 5. As

a further precaution the whole of the projecting portion of the tie may be pressed close to the tied article, as shown in Figure 6.

In the example shown in Figures 1 to 3 the axis of the hole 37 meets the axis of rotation of the spindle at an angle of 30 so that the tool has to be angularly displaced through an angle of about 150 in bending the tie ends. These angles are not critical. When the wire tie is of heavy gauge, its ends require to be bent through little more than 90 in order to prevent their withdrawal from the tool while the tie is being twisted. When the tie is of relatively light gauge, it is desirable, in order to avoid risk of the Wire ends dragging through the hole, to keep the first-mentioned angle small, or even in the limit to make the axis of the hole 37 parallel to the axis of rotation of the spindle Where the articles being tied are small enough in circumference to give room for such a tool to be used.

The tool shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9 is similar to that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, except that the hole 37 and notch 38 arereplaced by two rather smaller holes 37 and notches 38' placed side by side and adapted to receive respectively the two wire ends. In this modification, the two holes 37' are located on opposite sides of the common plane containing the axes of handle 30 and head 35 and are parallel with such plane.

Figures 10, 11 and 12 show a wire-holding block similar to that of the tool shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, ex-

cept that the notch 38A extending from the diverging part of the hole 37A to the end face of the block 35A is of rectangular section.

The spindle 31 of thetool shown in Figures 13, 14 and 15 has a cross piece 47 terminating at one end in a hook 48 of known kind for use with eye-ended ties, and at the other end with a wire-holding device 35 as provided on the tool shown in Figures 1 to 3, for use with straight-ended ties.

Figures 16 and 17 show a tool suitable for use with ties of light gauge and having a holding device 35 like that on the tool shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The spindle end portion 31A is goose-necked instead of cranked, so as to bring the rear opening of the hole 37 in the holding device substantially onto the spindle axis. The handle 30A co-operates with the spindle by means of an Archimedean screw-and-nut mechanism, the screw of which is denoted by 49, whereby, after the tie ends have been bent by bodily angular displacement of the tool, the tie is twisted by drawing the handle backwards along the spindle.

For ties of heavy gauge, the tool may have a goosenecked holding device as in Figure 16 and a pistol-grip handle, the spindle being rotatable either by a motor controlled by a trigger or by means of'a ratchet drive operated by a spring-biased lever at the front edge of the pistol-grip.

Where a tool having a goose-necked wire-holding device is employed, it is preferable to have the holding device slightly out of line with the axis of the tool so that, after the two ends of the wire tie have been inserted in the holding device and bent through an angle sufiicient to prevent the withdrawal of the ends when a pull is exerted on the tool, the loop of the wire tie is in line with the spindle of the tool thereby facilitating the rotation of the spindle by the Archimedean screw and-nut mechanism or other driving means.

Figures l8, l9 and 20 show a holding device rather similar to that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 as regards the block 35B and the hole 378. However, the notch 38B, which is parallel sided, extends into the smaller end of the hole 37B so as to accommodate two pin-head tie ends 50 lying one behind another. The device can be used in the same way as that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 for straight-ended ties.

A feature of the tools having a goose-necked holding device such as is shown in Figures 16 and 17 is that, provided the holding device is hardened and the V-shaped edge 47 (Figure 17) between the notch 38 and the hole 37 is sharp so as to form a cutting edge, when the tie has been fully tightened, further rotation of the holding device causes this sharp edge to sever the bent end portions cleanly from the twisted portion of the tie. The tie cannot then be untwisted without the aid of a tool, and this reduces the risk that unauthorized persons will be able to undo the tie and, after removing some of the contents of the tied article, retie the tie in such a manner as to give the impression that it has not been tampered with.

I claim: a

l. A hand tool for tying a wire tie having substantially straight plain ends, the tool including a handle, a wire holding head, mounting means rotatably connected with said handle and supporting said head for rotation about the axis of said handle, said wire-holding head being located forwardly of one end of the handle and having its longitudinal axis diverging from the axis of said handle by a substantial angle, said head having a hole formed transversely through a portion thereof along an axis substantially normal to the axis of said head and parallel with the common plane containing the axes of said head and said handle, said hole having a frusto-conical mouth at the rear end thereof, said wire-holding head being provided with a notch formed longitudinally therein and extending from the frusto-conical mouth of said hole to the terminal end of said head and forming a channel for conducting said wire away from said head during twisting operation, and means embodied in said mounting means for effecting rotation of said head about the axis of said handle in response to movement of said handle when said head is connected to the ends of said wire.

2. A tool according to claim 1, wherein said notch is V-shaped.

3. A tool according to claim 1, wherein said notch is formed with parallel sides.

4. A tool according to claim 1, wherein said head is formed to provide a cutting edge at the junction between said notch and said hole.

5. A tool according to claim 1, wherein said head is provided with two transverse holes formed therein on opposite sides of said common plane and having parallel axes for receiving the two ends of the tie wire.

6. A hand tool suitable for use in tying a wire tie having substantially straight plain ends, the tool including a handle, a spindle mounted in the handle by means of an Archimedean screw ratchet coupling, said spindle having a goose-neck end portion, a wire-holding device on the end of said goose-neck portion and provided with a hole capable of receiving both ends of the wire tie, said hole lying obliquely to the axis of said ratchet coupling and having a mouth substantiallymrsaid and opening 5 6 at least 'in part towards said handle, said device also 860,722 Bourne July 23, 1907 having a notch between the mouth end portion of said 1,136,220 Fegely Apr. 20, 1915 hole and an end face of said device, and the junction of 1,453,446 Davidson May 1, 1923 said notch and said hole forming a cutting edge. 1,576,400 Beghetti Mar. 9, 1926 7. A tool as claimed in claim 6, wherein said hole has 5 1,674,035 Craig June 19, 1928 a divergent mouth. 1,744,507 Runden et a1 Jan. 21, 1930 1,822,543 Rosenmund Sept. 8, 1931 References Cited in the file of this patent 9 B0656 A g- 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 FOREIGN PATENTS 596,864 Farrar Jan. 4, 1898 336,450 Germany May 2, 1921 

